Drive for adjustable-axis mating, rotors



June 2, 1953 J. R. ROSENLEAF DRIVE FOR ADJUSTABLE-AXIS MATING ROTORS Filed March 1, 1951 T; Ill,

INVENTOR.

Patented June 2, 1953 PA'EEN'F o mo-E Original. appl catinnfian ry, ,l .1948;, eriel N i 459.." Divi ed T m t nplii atinn Mercia 1t.

6:Clai:n s.i, (Cl. M a-387) The apresent. application. is .a division ofmycopending application: SerialaN umber -459, filed January- 3, i948,v forFRntary Lathi Punch and: is .5primarily-concerned. with means for main taining :synchronism: between two rotors, mounted on parallel-.-axes and :respectivelycarrying gears which are normally meshed, (luringperiods While; as a, result of." relative. adjustment of the rotor-fixes; said-gears are. separatect'fnomintermeshing:- relation.= The -.-invention. herein dis closed-ands claimed finds its primary utility in: a machine 1 for-a cutting; punching, imprinting r an otherwise acting; upon: a. continuously-flowing stream of." material,=i such, for instance, as that disclosed-qinzthepatent to Einmett D; Benham.-. 15 and .John R.1R0senleaf No.. 2,228;l62 issued. Janu- I ary 7,. 1941; but it ismot limited-to. such? use.-

The primary 1 obj ectof. the :present invention, ef ico-urse, :is'to. provide vmechanism. Whichwill ef- A fecti-veiy maintain such: synchronism :uncler such: conditions-sushimechanismito be simple in. struc, ture; sturdy; and. accurate in operation, and-1 singularly free. from: liability to: disorders;

To 'the. accomplishment :"of .the above and 'relatedsobjects; my invention' may be emb0died:iin= the i form illustrated imthe accompanying draw! ings, attention-being called-to theufact-i.however,- that the drawings are illustrative only; andthati change may be. made in the specific.-construotions illustrated and described-, so long.1as.:thjescope:- 30 of the'appended claims is not violated.

Fig; 1 is: an aend elevation :ofraemachine em. bodying my presentzinventiong.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially-.- on. :the linel'2+'2.fof F'ig; l and;

Fig. 3 is. an elevational view, part-s being-broken; away' for clarity of 1 illustration; taken. upon. plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 2;and; showing: an assembly comprisingzan important-zpart otmy: invention.

Referring more. particularly. to .th ez=- drawings, it:\vi11;'be seen that Irhave illustrated one of two: end panels. 3 trot a'iramein: which arejournalled; the opposite-ends'of vttsh'ait or rotoitflfiibearings, such ;as 2 9,": preferably-1 being. prov-idea." f0'I','S11pc$ porting said rotor. ends in. said panelsr. Eachsend-i panel 3 this 'provided,-. in aregion abovethe-b'ear: ings 29; with a vertically extendingitrackway;3;! Tin-which is slidably -mounted a: shoe 3%.; each; such shoe carrying -a:bearing-33, inwhich-bearings are journal-led the opposite ends of a' secondshaft 3:3, parallel with; and substantially coextensivewithihe shaft'ltl. To the-unperend-of each shoe 32 is suitablysecured arodtBthreaded-s at its upper end-forcooperation with ai-nut' ai 55 journa l led ioy rotation; but held againstreciprocation; in a-=suitabl9-support -on the frame eane-l- 395 Eixed to or-*integr-al'witlr;- each nut 31', isa beveled gearilifiiand a shaft 35 spans the region: betweem saidgears 38 and carries two beveled gears'rlfi; eachmesh-ingwith one of said gears 38; 'fwoehandwheels l-l; one at each endof the machine, a re-=-mo-unted"up(m the 'sh'aft' 3 9 f or rotating-the-same and-fitwi'll be obvious that rotationofthe shaft 39 m one direction orthe other-"will-- elevataor depress the-shoes 32; co-rrespon-dingly shifnng the sh a-ftfl 4 which is joul nalled-in said shoes.-

At its illustrated end,- the shaft or rotor 28 ca-rriesa large -spurgea1 -Il and-, at" its -corre spondingendf th'e=shaft-34 carries a: similar gear l 2 which; when the parts are in the positions illustrated, meshes withthe gear -71 to'nrovide a a driving connection" between the shafts 2 8 I and 34% whereb -said-shafts will" be-turnedat equal velocities in oppesite directionsi The-gear?! -is suitably fixed to they-shaft 28:1 Whi1"th'eg(&r"12"" is loosely mounted upcn-theshaft-Iili the-driving connection between; SaidEgear -"IZ and such 7 shaft. 34 being provided j,by;sul,table means for effecting accurate 'relativerotational adjustment. of theattitude of ,said gear-upon its shaft:- Th-is arljnstin.g meams forms no part of.v the: present invention, and therefore will not be herein de scribe n.-. eta l'-r n. a: machine of. the, hara r. f tha 7 closed and claimed in my sawin -pendin iapnlica: tion, it is essential thatth'e rotor 3; ber-aised, at times, to prevent or modiiy thelcoaction of parts respectively carriedhby therotors ,ZBfandjM; It is likewise essen ial that thetwo rotors be. maintainerialways inaccurate registry, Since. ele: vatieni the nail; .35 o... awde's te sum ient i t present. suchscaaction .willjnevitablr disengage the meshingateeth..oiiithe gears ,H and 12, some means.,-mu.st .be .provided for. maintaini tha r istry adenine ushflis sasement. L kewi e, I have. presided me ns; for. po it vely l itin wnward amcvement 10f. hi aft 34, in order hat the-sears H and :2 mayi t bec me ja d uch limitin means. preierablv. comprises a screw, '19 laeiustably, r ceiv d! in t o -op r tin socket inuthe lowier edgeioftithe shoe 32; a lookm nut Mitten l aidi, sc wr'fer alding the. scr w in anyadesi-red' pes-ition: (if,1ad i-ustment, and. La fixed. abutment 1: t; rigigl'iwithithez nachine f rams; and engageable, b-yxe' ther ascreimr 19; upondownward: movement :of ThWiShOfii..tfli lnibifillfi fidqwnw fda; momeme-ntt A link 82 has one end journalled on a. projection of the shaft 34, the other end of said link supporting an axle 83 upon which is fixed a spur gear 84. The link length is such as to hold the gear 84 always in mesh with the gear I2.

A frame 85, which may comprise merely a pair of straps, engages the axle 83 and another axle 85 upon which is mounted a gear 81 whose pitch diameter is identical with the gear 84, the frame 85 holding the two axles 83 and 88 in such a relation that the gears 84 and 8i are always intermeshed. One end of a. link 88 engages the axle 86, and the other end of said link is journalled upon the shaft 28, the length of the link 88 being such as to hold the gear 8'! always in mesh with the gear 1 I. As shown, I provide two links 88, one engaging each end of the axle 86. A trunnion element 90 is supported in the frame panel 38 and provides a journal mounting for one end of a link 89, the other end of said link 89 being engaged with the axle 83. The axis of the trunnion element 98 lies in the plane defined by the axes of the shafts 28 and 34, and the trunnion element 98 is spaced above the fixed axis of the shaft 28 a distance equal to the distance between the axes of the axles 83 and 88, so that the links 88 and 89 are always parallel.

As is clearly to be seen from an examination of Fig. 1, the link 82 is inclined downwardly toward the plane midway between the axes of the shafts 34 and 28 and perpendicular to the plane defined by said axes, while the link 88 is inclined upwardly toward said plane, and the link 89 intersects said plane. When the shaft 38 is shifted upwardly from its position illustrated in Fig. 1, the link 82 will move in a counter-clockwise direction and the links 88 and 89 will move in a clockwise direction, the plane including the axes of the axles 83 and 86 being maintained always parallel with the plane including the axes of the shafts 28 and 34, and the gears 84 and 8! being held always in mesh, respectively, with the gears 12 and H. Since the gears 88 and 81 are further held always in mesh with each other, it will be clear that, in spite of the disengagement of the teeth of the gear 72 from the teeth of the gear I I the gear 12 will continue to be driven in absolute correlation with the gear H. Thus, when the parts are again returned to the positions of Fig. l, the gears II and 12 will move into mesh smoothly, and without disturbing the rotational relationship between the rotors 28 and 34 and such elements as are carried thereon.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of rotors, bearing means for each of said rotors mounting said rotors for rotation upon spaced parallel axes, means for shifting the bearing means for one of said rotors toward and away from the bearing means for the other of said rotors, a gear rotatable with each of said rotors, gear means providing an operative connection between said gears throughout shifting movement of said first-named bearing means and comprising two intermeshing idler gears mounted on parallel axes, said idler gears respectively meshing with the gears on said rotors, and means retaining the axes of said idler gears always in a common plane parallel with the plane common to the axes of said rotors, said last-named means including a link connecting the axis of one of said rotors with the axis of one of said idler gears, a second link connecting the axis of the other of said rotors with the axis of the other of said idler gears, and a third link connecting the axis of one of said idler gears with a fixed axis in the plane common to said rotor axes.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of rotors, bearing means for each of said rotors mounting said rotors for rotation upon spaced parallel axes, means for shifting the bearing means for one of said rotors toward and away from the bearing means for the other of said rotors, a gear rotatable with each of said rotors, an axle, an idler gear on said axle, a link oscillable about the axis of one of said rotors and connected to said axle to hold said idler gear enmeshed with the gear rotatable with said one rotor, a second axle, a second idler gear on said second axle, means maintaining said second axle parallel with, and at a fixed distance from, said first axle with said idler gears in mesh with each other, a second link oscillatable about the axis of the other of said rotors and connected to said second axle to hold said second idler gear enmeshed with the gear rotatable with said other rotor, and a third link mounted for oscillation about an axis parallel with and intermediate the axes of said rotors and connected to said first axle.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of rotors, bearing means for each of said rotors mounting said rotors for rotation upon spaced parallel axes, means for shifting the bearing means for one of said rotors, upon a line joining said axes, toward and away from the bearing means for the other of said rotors, a gear rotatable with each of said rotors, an axle, an idler gear on said axle, a link journalled at one end for oscillation about the axis of said one rotor and inclined toward the plane located midway between said axes and normal to said line, said link being connected to said axle to hold said idler gear in mesh with said gear rotatable with said one rotor, a second axle, a second idler gear on said second axle, means maintaining said second axle at a fixed distance from said first axle with said idler gears in mesh with each other, a second link journalled at one end for oscillation about the axis of the other of said rotors and inclined toward said plane, said second link being connected to said second axle to hold said second idler gear in mesh with said gear rotatable with said other rotor, and a third link journalled upon an axis located between said plane and one of said rotor axes, said third link angularly traversing said plane and being connected, on the other side of said plane, with one of said axles.

4. The organization of claim 3 in which said third link is arranged in substantial parallism with, and is equal in length to, that previously mentioned link which is connected with the other of said axles, whereby the line joining said axles is held normal to said plane.

5. The organization of claim 4 in which the journal axis of said third link is located between said plane and the axis of the non-shiftable rotor.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of rotors, bearing means for each of said rotors mounting said rotors for rotation upon spaced parallel axes, agear fixed to one of said rotors, a gear fixed to the other of said rotors and adapted to mesh with said first-named gear, means for shifting the bearing means for said one rotor toward and away from the axis of said other rotor to move said gears into and out of mesh. and means for maintaining synchronism of said rotors while said gears are out of mesh, including a frame, a pair of intermeshing idler gears carried by said frame on parallel axes,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 64,932 2,141,101

Number Name Date Amidon May 21, 1867 Webster Dec. 20, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Dec. 6, 1924 Germany Apr. 11, 1917 

